Tears of Smoke and Dreams of Fire
by Oni-at-heart
Summary: No one sees Smoker cry ever. Until one night where Ace stumbles upon our favorite marine doing just that. Acex Smoker. Don't think it you know the drill don't read it. Comments are loved.


No one saw Smoker cry. Ever. Fools thought that he couldn't just because no one had ever seen it. No one had seen him after the greatest pirate ever had been executed. No one saw him when his whole family was slaughtered by an weak excuse of a pirate who could never dream of being good enough to lick Gold Rodger's boots. So no one saw him as he left the inn the marines were staying at after justice had been twisted so much that there was nothing left of it. No one saw him standing in the middle of a forest with streams of smoke running swiftly down his cheeks, completely silent, bowed, broken. And no one saw.

No one but Ace as he stepped from the darkness of the trees. He had not expected to meet anyone, in fact he had went out of his way to avoid the marines. He didn't think he would be able to resist destroying them all after what they had done. Maybe this group hadn't been in on it but they followed the monsters that had. They said that absolute power corrupts absolutely, it seemed that the marine's absolute justice did the same. And now he was faced with the back of a tall figure, head bowed, of a marine captain who proudly displayed the lie of justice written there. But the jacket, it was familiar but he couldn't quite place it. He wouldn't kill the bastard with his back turned to him, no he would get him to turn around and see the pain as his burned burned like those innocent women and children had. Letting his fist burst into flames he calmly stated," I am Fist Fire Ace, and I am going to kill you."

Smoker straightened in surprise. Someone had snuck up on him, and it had to be that fire brat. Of all the people to see him like this, but maybe this is what he deserved, he had been unable to make sure that justice was done. He deserved it for being weak for failing, so whatever Ace did he would not resist, because he deserved it all. So he turned and waited for his sentence to be carried out.

Ace started as he recognized the naturally white hair when the head came up. Why was Smoker here? So near the attack? He doubted the man was one of those who were responsible. So why was he out here? Then the man turned to him and he saw tendrils of the pure white smoke still resting on his cheeks. The eyes above those were slightly red and haunted. Had he been crying? But the White Hunter didn't cry. But a man who's justice had been smashed by those he called nakama would. Was that it? Had he heard the news and figured out the truth? But why was the man just standing there? Why wasn't he attacking? What was he doing?

Smoker was feeling nervous. What was that brat waiting for? He had given the judgment, guilty, why wasn't he filling out the punishment? Smoker could barely said the irony, he was waiting for a pirate to fulfill his death sentence, not the other way around. He wondered if this was how his victims felt as they waited for him to deliver the punishment. And just like them he deserved the sentence given. " Well what are you waiting for? You said you were going to kill me? So get on with it."

Ace walked up to the bigger man slowly, wondering if this is some sort of trap. What was he doing? He slowly placed one flaming hand on the other man's chest. Instead of turned to smoke to stop the burning the flesh stayed hard and strong under his hand. He inquisitively looked into the other man's face. The eyes stared straight ahead at nothing, but the mouth was gritted the only show of the pain he must be feeling. But there was a slightly determined smile barely there. Ace didn't think that Smoker was a masochist. What was going on!? He was sick and tried of continually wondering that. So he let the hand turn back into flesh but kept his hand flat on the now burned skin just in case, the flesh was really messed up, black and red looking like a really overcooked hot-dog. Some of it was peeling off his body. But still Smoker just stood there. "What are you doing? Why are you just taking this?"

Smoker watched as Portagas came forward. The wriggling caterpillars hatched into full fledged butterflies. He had never known that this was how it felt. But he was better than those who screamed for mercy, he would follow in the example of the one man he truly looked up to and die smiling. The heat hit him and he had to stop himself from instinctively turning to smoke. The skin popped and burned as he stared at the tree across the clearing. His gritted teeth were curved upward as much as he could make them. He deserved this pain. But suddenly the flame was gone but the hand remained there, warm and promising more pain yet to come. Not that the touch on the mangled flesh didn't hurt itself. The questions startled him. He knew the reason easily enough. So looking down he said,"Because I deserve it. Why are you waiting? You said you were going to kill me. Carry out your sentence."

Because he deserved it? How did he believe even for more than a moment believe that? Yes he was a marine but he wasn't a corrupt one. But the eyes staring at him believed every word he said. This man's soul was broken and falling apart. The attack... Was that it? "Is it the attack?"He watched as Smoker flinched." That's it, isn't it? You feel responsible?"

Smoker couldn't help but flinch at the accusation. The movement sent waves of pain across his body. Why was this boy questioning him about why he was just standing there. The second it seemed like he wouldn't do anything he should have tried to burn him alive quickly. "Why do you care pirate?"

" You didn't answer my question."

"And you didn't answer mine either."

"I asked first so tell me what in the five seas are you doing?"

" I'm standing here talking to a pirate brat at least ten years younger than me."

" I mean why are you letting yourself be burned?"

" I failed."

"What? I couldn't hear you."

" I failed."

"Oh for the love of ... Speak up!"

" I failed!"

Smoker's face was flushed and he was panting as if saying that had been a hard battle. Ace supposed it was. To admit such a thing. But it wasn't true even if the marine thought it was." It wasn't you who did it. You're not responsible."

" I didn't do it but I didn't stop them, therefor it's as bad as if I had. But I won't expect a pirate to understand that. Simply fill out my punishment."

Ace couldn't believe this. A intelligent practical man believed that? His equal in pure fruit power thought that? He started warming his hand to an uncomfortable temperature on the already tortured flesh. Smoker simply closed his eyes with the smallest of smiles on his face. But Ace wanted to check once more. " Are you sure you deserve to die?"

"I deserve whatever you do to me. If I am unable to carry out justice then I'm not worth anything."

So that was it. Ace knew that it never seemed as if he had anything outside of his justice. That was his dream. Ace felt another surge of hate towards those who crushed any dream to get their own power. It was their fault that this beautiful man was in so much pain and he couldn't do a thing about it... or could he? ''I deserve whatever you do to me.'' Well if he insisted anything... Maybe all he needed was something to get him out of this state of mind. After all he didn't say anything that could hurt him but anything. Ace could handle that.

It was becoming harder for Smoker to breath. His lungs were working but breathing was costing him with the flesh on his chest having to move each time with horrible twists. His smoke so used to taking care of most of his wounds was trying to repair the damage but Smoker wouldn't let himself be so weak. But that look in Ace's eyes was sparking and Smoker knew the end was coming. This was the look that he ha seen in the pirates eyes in Alabastra. Just seeing it made the smoke want to reach for the fire promised, to fuel itself.

Ace removed his hand from Smoker's chest and burst into flames. He let out the smallest, coolest bits leap onto Smoker's skin and after a dozen of those he was rewarded by the light flicker of smoke on the skin licking up the flames. Hehe, so Smokey did want to live. He was right. Now all he had to do was get the blood pumping. The things he did to help people, he was just too nice. Especially to strong, handsome, smoke powered marines who he wanted to live so they would one day squirm under him in throes of passion. But he was getting ahead of himself.

Smoker frowned as he felt the small taunting bits of fire land on his form. They weren't very hot, just teasing. Finally feeling his resolve waver he allowed smoke to gather those wonderful little sparks into himself. He felt their life run through him with a glorious feeling of being alive. As long as he didn't allow his smoke to repair his chest and stomach he would be okay. Okay? That didn't have anything to do with it. Okay, fine, whatever you wanted to call it usually applied to able to go on and live. So why was he standing here letting a pirate kill him? A little voice that sounded like other marine officers whispered," You deserve it." But why? He had failed before but he hadn't allowed himself to be killed. It you lived you could continue to fight. More sparks, bigger this time were lapped up without him barely thinking about it. Had he been been listening to too much of that marine headquarters bullshit? Smoker frowned even deeper as he realized that was exactly what it was. He had been hoodwinked into thinking what they wanted him to think. Damn, his teeth clenched so hard that if his cigars had been in his mouth they would cut in two. Smoke started repairing the damage. It was slower than normal but he was healing. He looked at the flaming pirate before him and grinned like a shark, he had prey.

Ace couldn't help but smile as he saw the life come back into Smoker's eyes. The grin he was giving him sent waves of excitement up and down his spine, or at least his fire cause fire really didn't have a spine but he supposed this is the equivalent. Smoker became fully smoke and coiled. Ace laughed and ran knowing the smoke was right behind him.

Smoker could almost howl in joy as as he took to the skies to catch the fire. The feeling of the this chase was different than the feeling of chasing Strawhat. That was filled with duty and confusion as that boy went against all the rules of a pirate and knew more about justice than many marines. It was a man's chase. But smoke didn't feeling confusion it only felt power. At the moment it didn't care for anything but catching that fire and feeding off it.

Ace watched as Smoker returned to the inn. The man walked with more confidence than before, the pain from the attack lingered but it no longer was destroying him. He never caught him but the chase had lasted hours. Hours of just flowing across the beaches as smoke and fire. He saw the calm on Smoker's face as he had finally given up when he had lost Ace, tired but strong again, alive again. He remembered the white streams ghosting his cheeks and smiled. Show me your pain and I'll wipe it away so no one can see this wonderful gift.


End file.
